Calculate fuel tax owed or credited per jurisdiction based on miles driven, fuel purchased, and applicable tax rates. Simplify your IFTA quarterly filing preparation.
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The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) is a cooperative agreement among the 48 contiguous United States and 10 Canadian provinces that simplifies the reporting and payment of fuel use taxes by interstate and interprovincial motor carriers. Instead of filing separate fuel tax returns in every state or province where a carrier operates, IFTA allows carriers to file a single quarterly return with their base jurisdiction, which then redistributes taxes owed to other member jurisdictions.
IFTA applies to qualified motor vehicles, defined as vehicles used, designed, or maintained for the transportation of persons or property that have two axles and a gross vehicle weight or registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 26,000 pounds, or have three or more axles regardless of weight, or are used in combination when the combined weight exceeds 26,000 pounds. Most commercial trucks operating across state or provincial lines fall under IFTA requirements.
The core principle behind IFTA is straightforward: each jurisdiction is entitled to tax on the fuel consumed within its borders. The calculation starts by determining the fleet's overall fuel efficiency (total miles divided by total gallons purchased). This average MPG is then used to calculate taxable fuel consumption for each jurisdiction. If you purchased more fuel than consumed in a jurisdiction, you receive a credit. If you purchased less fuel than consumed, you owe additional tax.
IFTA returns are filed quarterly. Q1 (January through March) is due April 30. Q2 (April through June) is due July 31. Q3 (July through September) is due October 31. Q4 (October through December) is due January 31. Late filings incur penalties and interest charges. Carriers must maintain detailed records of every trip and every fuel purchase for a minimum of four years to support their IFTA filings in case of an audit.
The most common errors in IFTA reporting include miscounting jurisdictional miles, failing to record all fuel purchases with complete receipts, using inaccurate MPG figures, and missing filing deadlines. Many carriers also forget to include fuel purchased with fleet cards or at cardlock stations. Complete mileage and fuel-purchase records can reduce manual transcription and make a return easier to verify before filing.
TruckerPro can organize jurisdiction mileage and fuel-purchase records when the applicable modules and integrations are configured. Review any generated report against source records before filing.
See IFTA FeaturesIFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) is a tax agreement among US states and Canadian provinces that simplifies fuel tax reporting for interstate and interprovincial carriers. Carriers operating qualified motor vehicles (over 26,000 lbs or with 3+ axles) that travel in more than one IFTA jurisdiction must file quarterly IFTA returns. The base jurisdiction collects and redistributes fuel taxes owed to other jurisdictions.
IFTA fuel tax is calculated by determining the fleet's overall MPG, then calculating taxable fuel for each jurisdiction based on miles driven. The formula is: Taxable Gallons = Jurisdiction Miles / Fleet MPG. If you purchased more fuel than the taxable amount in a jurisdiction, you receive a credit. If you purchased less, you owe additional tax. The difference is multiplied by that jurisdiction's tax rate.
IFTA returns are filed quarterly with the following deadlines: Q1 (Jan-Mar) due April 30, Q2 (Apr-Jun) due July 31, Q3 (Jul-Sep) due October 31, and Q4 (Oct-Dec) due January 31. Late filings may result in penalties and interest. Carriers must maintain detailed trip and fuel records for at least four years.